Medicine Hat Minute: Landfill Appeal, School Budget, and Dining With Dogs

Medicine Hat Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Medicine Hat politics

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• There are two meetings scheduled at City Hall this week, starting with a City Council meeting on Tuesday at 4:30 pm. The meeting will be held in-camera, so as much as we'd like to tell you what’s happening - we can't.
  
  
• On Thursday, there will be a meeting of the Energy and Infrastructure Committee at 3:30 pm. This one won't be in-camera, but we still can't tell you what will happen because no agenda has been posted by the City yet.
  
  
• Rentable e-scooters are now available for Hatters looking for an alternative way to get around town thanks to a one-year pilot project in partnership with Bird Canada and the City of Medicine Hat. The pilot will be funded and operated by Bird, with scooter access available through the company's app.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• The Medicine Hat Public School Division Board Trustees unanimously voted to approve a balanced operating budget for the 2022-2023 school year. Declining enrollment was offset by continued Provincial funding so that student programming could be maintained. The budget will also see funding go towards mental health initiatives for staff and students.
  
  
• It was announced that restaurants in Alberta no longer need approval from Alberta Health Services to allow dogs on their patios. But, restaurants are not obligated to allow dogs, with the exception of service animals. If you want to dine at your favourite Medicine Hat restaurant with your dog this summer, be sure to call ahead and find out if your furry friend can come.
  
  
• The owners of the Westar Landfill have been given another year to appeal an environmental protection order. The landfill, which caught fire eight years ago and burned for six months, cost Cypress County nearly $2 million for specialized fire-fighting crews. Back in 2021, it appeared that a resolution was near, but the deadline for an official update is now January 2023.

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